Revive
by dystopianinterstellar
Summary: He shouldn't have emotions. He should be a merciless, cold-blooded killer who only follows the orders. She shouldn't have compassion. She should be a self-centered, indifferent scavenger who does everything to survive. But love changed them both.
1. ONE

**A/N：**this can also be read as a reylo zombie acapolyse AU.

If you haven't read Reboot by Amy Tintera,dont worry, bc here ive listed the things you should know before reading this:

**KDH:** a wide-spread virus that kills the old and weak but make the young and healthy come alive after death. The process of coming back from death is called Rebooting. The people who reboot are called the Reboots.

**Reboot:** stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. The length of time of their deaths is decided by how harsh the life before they die has been.

There is a bar code printed at each Reboot's wrist, showing their names and how long they've been dead before Rebooting. You can refer to Reboots by their names+how long they were example, Rey ninety-seven.

**HARC:**short for Human Advancement and Population gather teenage reboots(under 20)in different facilities and use them to arrest human criminals.

Hope yall enjoy my story!

* * *

Rey screamed.

After she woke up from death.

She had been dead for 97 minutes, according to the bar code printed at her wrist.

"Rey Jakku, "said the code, "97. "

Rey had lived in an orphanage run by Unkar Plutt. Then,when Rey was ten, the man died of KDH. She had to feed herself by collecting scraps of metals and selling them on black markets. Not too different from when Unkar was alive.

She had lived a harsh life as a human. She used to be starved. Almost frozen to death once or twice. Faded scars covered her body, some still hurt. It had been 5 years since she was utterly alone, having nobody to depend on.

But after 97 minutes of being surrounded by entirely lifeless darkness and opened her eyes to the lights shining above, she couldn't help but let out a scream.

She was no longer a human now.

She was a Reboot.

Rey covered her wrist using the other hand, bit her bottom lip to suppress another cry.

They told her that in HARC, if you showed weakness to others, you would be dead.

And from then on she had been quiet.

They said that most Reboots would spend the first few days of their new lives in panic. Rey was no different, as she later found out. She hated to be restrained. Hated to be sheltered over. The last person who had sheltered over her ordered the seven-year-old her to collect metal scraps for him on the dirty and dangerous streets in Rosa. It led her to believe that HARC would treat her the same way.

She was not wrong.

* * *

Rey closed her eyes. She was on a shuttle, her first time using this transport. Safety belt tied her to the seat, although due to her thinness she almost slipped out of the restrains.

She felt scared. She hated to feel so. She wasn't afraid when her parents dropped her at the orphanage at six, when they guaranteed to come back. She wasn't afraid when Unkar Plutt forced her to work out of the orphanage, when she was totally exposed to all the dangers in Rosa. She wasn't afraid when she was left alone after Unkar's death. She was not afraid when KDH slowly ate her up and gave her great pain.

But now, the tight knot in her stomach and the loud pounding of her heart told her that she was afraid. Scared. Terrified.

She wasn't sure why she was so afraid when she was given a chance to start over. When she was granted with a new life, where she was stronger and more indifferent.

Maybe it was because of the changing. Grown-ups often worried about the changes in life. Her parents would argue when another vaccine for KDH they couldn't afford came out, when they were kicked out of their flat and had nowhere to go, when the drug dealers raised a higher price on what they were addicted to.

Rey was 15. Maybe she did grow up. It made no difference, though. After KDH broke out, the only rule in the world was to survive on your own. It didn't matter how old you were.

She opened her eyes and looked around. The human guard was apparently too sleepy to watch over the situation. Her brain was instinctively forming an escape plan, but she suppressed it. She was not jumping out of a shuttle just to return to the slums of Rosa and got herself killed.

The Reboots they brought on this shuttle were all teenagers over 12, as she had learnt. They said the children under 12 would be raised in another organization until they were old enough to be useful.

HARC said a lot of things.

Rey believed every single one of them.

* * *

It was night when they arrived at Austin facility. The chilly night air brought a shiver down her spine. She noticed that her clothes had been changed.

It was such a luxury to wear new clothes. Not with dirt and holes. Actually, it was the first time in her life to wear such things.

She began to think that maybe HARC would treat her better like they already were.

They ran tests on her. A lot of tests. She was asked to run as fast as she could on a treadmill carrying many devices she had never seen before.

They told her that she was strong. But to be stronger, she had to train.

The Newbies were trained by Reboots that were over 120, which meant to be a trainer you must be dead for 120 minutes or longer.

Rey was a little disappointed that she didn't have the chance to become a trainer.

She was also secretly glad because she wasn't as emotionless and cold as the trainers.

* * *

She sat among other Newbies as they had breakfast at the cafeteria. She would never admit it, but she had wanted to make some friends at this new place. There were no friends in human world, not even in the orphanage. However, now they didn't have to fight each other for the chance to survive. She assumed that this would give them a choice to be friendly. Rey allowed her mind to wander further as she dug her fork into the steak.

"Hello, "she jumped a little when someone suddenly patted her elbow. "I'm Finn fifty-four. This is my friend, Poe seventy-three. What about you?"

Rey turned to her left to see a dark skinned boy smiling brightly to her. Behind the boy was a good-looking guy who clearly was much older than her , also smiling. Usually Reboots would look paler than humans, but these boys looked almost didn't change at all.

Rey tried to radiate the same kindness when she turned the corner of her mouth to form a smile.

"I'm Rey ninety-seven. "She said as gently as she could. It was not easy after a decade of leading a harsh life on the streets of Rosa. "Nice to meet you. "

The two gasped when they heard her number. "Wow, that's pretty cool!"said Poe, who didn't even try to hide his shock. Rey didn't know if it was a compliment or a sarcastic comment, but judging from Poe's earnest expression, the first guess might be correct.

"Can we be friends?"Finn said, "You know, it's gonna be wonderful to havea friend who can kick people's ass. "

Warmth filled Rey's heart as she suppressed the urge to laugh. "Of course." She shaked hands with the two. "I would like to. "

* * *

They finished their meals and stood up from their seats, followed the crowd to exit the cafeteria. Rey got distracted when a noise came from behind. Someone was screaming.

Screaming were never good signs. Rey wanted to cover her ears and hide soemwhere, but she forced herself to turn to the familiar voice.

It was Finn. Rey moved closer, her heart pounding fast. Finn was lying on the ground, blood dripped from his nose. A red-haired boy stood beside him, laughing and kicking his side. Reboots gathered beside the two, some were wearing a smug look on their faces, others were evidently horrified.

"Fifty-four, isn't it? "yelled the red-haired boy, raising his wrist, "I doubled your number, coward! You don't even dare tofight back!"

Rage filled Rey's heart as she ran forward. Poe was helping Finn up as the red-haired boy kept insulting the two.

"Only cowards would be proud of bullying people."She called out to the boy, clenching her fist.

Red hair turned to her, visibly astonished by her statement. Rey enjoyed a moment of victory when he flushed over her words.

"Who do you think you are to insult me, street brat?"Red hair spit at her."So fragile and weak. HARC wouldn't like that."

"I'm Rey ninety-seven, coward. I'm not afraid of a bully. "She straightened her back, looked into his eyes.

"Is that a challenge?"Red hair scoffed.

"Yes. "Her tone was calm and determined. She hoped she felt like what she showed on the exterior.

There was no time to regret the decision. She quickly ducked to dodge a blow from the bully, then raised her elbow to strike his chest. She had been in a lot of fights back when she was still human, but she used to be accompanied by her quarterstaff.

I cannot be weak. Thought Rey. HARC won't like that.

She replayed the scene of Finn bleeding on the ground in her mind. Fury flamed the blood her veins, driving her to attack.

"Told you it would be awesome to have a friend who's an ass kicker." Finn said to Poe. Rey smirked at the comment, taking her chance to punch the boy's jaw.

The boy's expression distorted from pain.

It seemed to infuriate Red hair more than anything, that he would probably lose to a newbie whose number was under 100. Rey raised her arm to neglect a blow. The bump was so powerful that it caused Rey to stumble backwards. She bent her knees to prevent her head from being hit.

The only way of killing a Reboot was to destroy their head.

Rey was getting exhausted. She had never met such a strong fighter before. To be honest, she had mostly encountered with half-starved, inexperienced scavengers like her. But Red hair was a well-trained and well-fed Reboot, who had got a higher number and more strength. It was clear that Rey was the disadvantaged one, not the bully. She felt much more passive as she dodged another blow. Why haven't the guards intervened yet?

She stole a glance at the guards at the windows.

It seemed that they were enjoying this fight just like the red hair did.

Rey gritted her teeth, gathering all her strength and concentrated them at her fists. She tried to end this fight by throwing her fists forward.

Suddenly, the world went black. The red hair gave her an uppercut that sent her flying backwards. She blinked. Everything was spinning so fast…

"Bullying newbies again, Hux? Really, don't you have better activities to keep you occupied?"A low voice approached her. Rey groaned on the ground, struggling to keep herself concious. In her blurry view, she could see a tall dark figure look at her from above.

So the red hair was Hux. She thought, the figure must have a number high enough to shut Hux's mouth.

"That's Kylo one-eighty-three. "Finn whispered as he pulled Rey up. Rey's legs felt weak, her teeth clattered from pain. "The highest number here."

Rey snapped back into reality. So her rescuer was the infamous Kylo Ren, known to humans as a merciless killer. She stepped backwards, unsure what to do.

She glanced at Kylo, only to gaze into his observing eyes. Hux, though still looking at Rey with hatred, didn't dare standing against Kylo. Rey stared at those dark . They were somehow mesmerizing, with amber flickering at the edge of his pupils. She exhaled as he walked in her direction.

"You fight good. "she jumped at Kylo's voice. The air in the cafeteria seemed to be stilled as his intimidating figure towered over her.

"Well, thank you? "she stammered, blushing in embarrassment. He casted her another glance before exiting the cafeteria.


	2. TWO

**A/N: English is not my mother language, sorry for the errors!**

* * *

Ben didn't scream.

He didn't as he woke up after one hundred and eight three minutes of death.

Bodies surrounded him, some already producing an unpleasant smell. Ben tried not to picture his companions in mind.

At first, he was too frightened to make a sound. His muscles seemed frozen, but when he managed to move a little, he was relieved to find a new source of power flowing through his body.

He smiled, then fell back into panic as pain blasted in his chest. He reached under his shirt, his fingers touched something rough and uneven.

His was stabbed and bled to death. A permanent scar remained on his chest. They did their best to fix it by stitching the skin around that hole back together.

It didn't feel so great, especially when you were only fifteen years old and had lived your life in richer parts of the city.

Ben jolted awake, sweating heavily. He glanced at the other bed in their dorm. To his relief, Mikita fifty-nine was still asleep. It had been rare to see his roommate sleep so soundly these days. Something must have gone wrong, but Ben didn't dare exploring more about it. The more curious a Reboot was, the more possible they wouldn't survive. Kylo one-eighty-three couldn't afford such stupid mistakes.

Changing his name was a privilege that came from Ben's high number.

In fact, no one had been dead for this long.

It was scary and wonderful at the same time, being who people feared the most. Living his new life under the mask of Kylo Ren one-eighty-three, 17-year-old Ben Solo had known this feeling better than anyone could have.

He lay awake in bed, staring into the empty darkness, like how he had spent most of the nights during the last two years.

* * *

Ben loved the days when newbies were sent into the facility. Not that it was enjoyable for him to get to know another panicked Reboot. Actually, the truth was just the opposite. But he did enjoy being a trainer and help another child to achieve his full potential. It usually came every six weeks, which meant he had trained more than ten newbies.

Hux one-zero-eight had just finished his training. Though he was the strongest trainee Ben had ever met, Ben didn't quite like him. The red-haired brat held no respect for others and he excelled at making troubles. Especially when it came to the newbies. Hux liked to claim his authority to the frightened victims on their first day at the facility.

Ben had reported to Officer Snoke about his trainee's irrational behaviors. "Fear makes people stronger,Kylo one-eighty-three, "Snoke had said,"by threatening the newcomers your trainee has helped them become better soldiers. We shall encourage his rightful use of power. "

As long as the officers decided not to intervene, there was nothing Ben could do. He secretly hoped that he had choked that arrogant idiot during their training.

It was not like he disagreed with HARC's decisions. Kylo one-eighty-three was an allegiant soldier who shouldn't have personal emotions.

At least that was what he told himself.

"You have too much human in you,"officer Snoke said to him once. "Only a teenager in your mask. "

He was enraged, but he didn't dare defying the officer. Snoke was right, he needed to live to his number.

He had grown accustomed to the incidents at the cafeteria, so when another newbie was attacked, Ben didn't try to intervene. After all, there were at least twenty armed human guards with loaded guns behind the glass windows of the cafeteria who were prepared to control the situation when it deteriorated.

"Only cowards would be proud of bullying people."A girl's voice suddenly attracted his attention. He could tell that she was trying to sound brave and determined, but the undisguised trembling of her voice said otherwise.

He turned around in curiosity. What he saw almost made him feel uncomfortable: a girl little more than five feet tall was standing before the red-haired fool, her steady posture did nothing to make her look threatening. Her dark hair was tied into three buns, which to him was a strange but beautiful hairstyle. She raised her chin up, clenching her hands into fists.

I would never train her, he thought. Her small body size and the ignorance to power made her look like a under-sixty.

Hux made his move. Ben almost felt sorry for the girl. It was going to be a nightmare for someone like her fo have Hux as an opponent.

He almost .

Emotionless. That was what the high-numbers were.

He thought about walking away when he saw the girl's movement. She miraculously dodged the blow, her velocity really impressed Ben, who was usually hard to be impressed. It was a surprise to Hux, too, judging from the flush that came onto his face. He was angry.

A sinking feeling formed in Ben's stomach. The fight was going to be ugly.

He almost wanted to intervene and stop the fight, but the idea dissolved at the sight of human guards. Some of them were watching and laughing as if this was some kind of entertainment. Small girl against the scary guy, what an interesting scenery to witness.

Ben didn't find any source of the anger that was forming in his own chest.

* * *

The girl's fighting style was raw and passionate, like a desperate survivor, whom he thought her to be as a human. Her incredible flexibility nearly made up for the disadvantage that lack of power brought her. Once she received proper training, she would definitely defeat his last trainee with ease.

He watched her fight. It was clear that she was gradually losing her strength. The back of her shirt was soaked with sweat. Her attacks became less and less powerful, until she had no choice but to give up being aggressive and only act on self-defense.

Ben didn't know why he almost felt disgusted when seeing the smug look on Hux's face when the guy kicked the girl to the ground.

The three-buned girl curled up and groaned in pain. It would be her luck if there weren't any broken bones.

He almost wanted to rush to her and scoop her up and protect her with his embrace.

But he shouldn't feel protective towards a stranger. In fact, Kylo one-eighty-three shouldn't have felt anything.

An unexpected...guilt washed over him as he watched the girl shivered on the ground, all of her fellow newbies were too scared to give a helping hand.

In the end, he surrendered to the emotion he hadn't felt for long and walked over to make that bully piss off.

When the girl looked into his eyes, he found himself drowning in a sea of warmth and light, losing himself in the darkest hazel he'd ever seen.

Ben tried not to be affected. But he was.

* * *

The Newbies were led into the training room. Their movements were slow and calculated, their eyes warily scanning their surroundings. These features of Reboots could help you differ them from humans. The creatures had eyes so fierce that their pupils were almost glowing, but something shining about human was forever lost on them. Maybe the sign of living would really burn brighter than a thousand sun, until a human lost it during the process of temporary death.

Ben noticed the girl from yesterday at the first sight. She found him watching her, her hand moved a little like she intended to wave to him, but eventually she only turned her head in his direction, the side of her mouth turned up into a stiffened and awkward smile.

Ben almost smiled back.

Don't get distracted, Kylo one-eighty-three. Snoke's words replayed in his head. He said Kylo in a mocking tone, as if amused by his attempt to let go of the past.

He didn't want to ruin a nice day when he got to train another newbie, so he stopped in the middle of his thoughts.

"Don't look at them, "yelled Phasma one-nineteen, making the newbies tear their curious gaze away from the trainers. Phasma hadn't been in a good mood today. Ben supposed it was because she missed the opportunity to become a trainer by one minute.

"The girl is the highest number this time. No wonder."Kaydel one-fifty-sixth whispered to Ben. The Reboots over 120 are not famous for their socializing skills, but since Kaydel was the second highest number in the facility, she and Ben had almost been friendly.

"What girl?"Ben asked before he realized she was referring to no others than the three-bunned girl from yesterday.

"Rey ninety-seven. Over there."Kaydel winked at her direction. "High numbered reboots are becoming fewer these days.I guess life out there has been improved."

Ben half-heartedly nodded. So her name was Rey.

He liked her name. It was nothing associated with emotions or feelings, though. It felt as plain as a favourite kind of food.

Phasma ordered the newbies to stand in a line, then gestured to Ben. "Kylo one-eighty-three, you may choose your trainee."

Another privilege being the highest number brought was the priority in choosing trainees.

"Rey ninety-seven." Her name tasted like the ray of sunshine, though the darkness that occupied his tone had washed this little glint of hope away.

He tried to convince himself that he choosed her only for her number.

That must be the case.


	3. THREE

He chose her.

Kylo one-eighty-three chose her as a trainee.

Rey blinked, her mind processing the information.

The Reboot that was going to train her could slaughter humans without thinking twice; The Reboot had been dead for a total of one hundred and eighty three minutes, which made him no better than a corpse. The Reboot was emotionless and merciless, and she doubted he would let her finish her training without several broken bones.

She felt like falling into a dark ice hole, dread filled every fiber of her being.

Months ago

The night was falling around her. Rey deeply inhaled, the dusty air of Rosa filled her lungs. She dragged her collection of metal scraps down the street through the unpleasant smell of rubbish and the crackles of metal against the cement pavement. She pressed a piece of cloth that she tore off from the bottom of her shirt onto the wound in her upper arm to stop the bleeding.

Rey made herself a mental note to bring her quarterstaff next time when going to the other end of the city, because earlier that day she got caught up in a fight there and had nothing to help protect herself. Carelessness left her with the wound. She couldn't afford to make the same mistake again.

Suddenly, Rey's sharp survivor instinct sensed a slight change in the night air. Someone was coming her way. Adrenaline flowed through her veins. She picked her belongings up, quickly hid herself behind a rubbish bin. It would not be pretty if HARC found her still out at curfew.

Rey was a scavenger who had nothing other than her life to lose. As a result, her top priority was to survive.

She curled at the corner, too afraid to even breathe. Rey closed her eyes and hoped the Reboot was only passing by.

What a ridiculous hope.

"Ben. " A familiar voice distracted Rey from her fear. Rey covered the lower half of her face with one hand, tilted her head to get a better view of the source of the voice.

In her limited periphery, she could make out two figures. The older man was holding a torch, the icy light radiating from it lit up their faces. When Rey recognized one of those faces, she stiffened.

The older man was Han Solo, the famous rebellion leader.

Not that she had an interest in politics. Practically, she was often so busy with feeding herself that she couldn't care less about those things. However, the rebels put so much effort into making themselves known that HARC no longer considered them harmless. The leaders of it all had a bounty on their head. Their pictures were stuck to the exterior of almost every building in Rosa, covering the black and white graffitis that used to be there. Han Solo was certainly no exception.

Ben? That must be his son, Ben Solo, who was murdered several years ago. She didn't know if the boy had Rebooted, but that was not her concern. Witnessing this scenery, though, gave her the answer.

"That, " the other person, who Rey supposed to be Ben Solo, said in a grave voice."Is not my name. I am Kylo one-eighty-three, not your weak, human son Ben Solo. "

Han didn't argue. Instead, he reached out tp touch Ben Solo's shoulder. "I'm here to take you home, Ben."

Even in the dim torchlight, Rey could tell that Ben Solo had tears in his eyes. His expression distorted in pain,his lips evidently trembling when speaking.

"I've been torn apart."

Surprisingly, a wave of compassion washed over Rey. But then, she remembered the way he spoke to his father, and the disgust towards his action dissolved the empathy.

Ben Solo had parents who loved him, that were willing to come back for him and take him home. He had got everything Rey had dreamt of, then he threw them away like garbage. Who was he to claim himself being torn apart?

"Please. Help me. "Rey took a quiet breath, bit back the part of her that was irrational enough to feel sorry for this guy.

Han's eyes glinted with understanding. His gaze was filled with forgiveness, as he gently stroked his son's cheek. For a brief moment, Rey wished that she was in Ben Solo's position, being bathed in parents' love and care that she never had.

The moment ended with a knife anp the smell of blood.

She saw it-with her own eyes, clear as day-that Kylo put the blade of the knife into hia father's chest.

Rey flinched back into the corner in horror, burying her face in the dirty fabric of her shirt.

"Kylo one-eighty-three. Assignment secured."

Now

The Reboot who killed his father.

Rey deeply inhales, the smell of blood in the training room brought her back to reality. She looked down at the dark green floor to avoid showing Kylo the hatred in her eyes. She made a big mistake by smiling at him this morning, grateful to him for helping her at yesterday's fight.

As the memory surfaced, she had a better guess on his intention of interceding the fight. Couldn't let Hux win all the Newbies' revere, wasn't it?

That must be the case.

She fixed her eyes on the ground though she could feel his observing gaze on her, as if evaluating her abilities.

What was the point to despise an emotionless killer machine?

"I feel so sorry that you have to be trained by that guy, Rey." Rose forty-six said. Rose was a beautiful Asian girl with an extrovert and optimistic personality. She was Rey's roommate, and Rey liked her immediately the moment she spoke.

"Well, "they were sitting on their beds-they shared a room with two narrow beds and a dresser-chatting before going to sleep. Tomorrow the training would begin. As the second lowest number among the Newbies, Rose got picked by Tara one-twenty-two, who was known for mercy and kindness that was rare among high numbers. Rey grew a little jealous of her roommate for having such a good mentor when she herself didn't have the luck. "I guess there are good aspects. Like...his skills are the best and learning his fighting style will help me survive easier in assignments..."she trailed off, an uncomfortable feeling took over her thinking about going back to the streets and arresting dangerous criminals. Would she be strong enough to survive that?

"Make sense. "said Rose, "Anyways, he's still a jerk. And a psychopath. You cannot change my mind. "

"Can you run?"He asked her abruptly right after the newbies' arrival at the training room.

Hearing his voice often brought her back to that chilly night in Rosa, when he put the blade through his father's chest. She shivered, trying to keep her tone even. "Yes, why?"

"Show Me. "He simply replied, "Running can keep you alive in extremely dangerous situations."

Like when confronting you? Rey bit the inside of her cheek to prevent these words escaping from her throat. She wordlessly turned to take his request and started moving her legs.

"Too slow. "Commented Kylo, who didn't put much effort into following her.

Rsy sped up, holding her head up. She didn't want him to feel victorious by criticizing her and making her ashamed.

"Keep your head down, ninety-seven. Your posture is making it much too easy for humans to aim at the head. " Kylo said behind her, exposing no emotion in his voice.

Rey was irritated."See us all as machines like you, don't you? Am I nothing but a number?"

She stopped and turned around to face him. Kylo's pale face was shaded upon by a mixture of anger and frustration. He grabbed her right wrist, keeping her close. His skin was so cold that Rey trembled at his touch.

"First of all, you don't know me well enough to make such accusations. "Their gaze locked. Rey struggled to pull her wrist free from his grip, but it was so tight that she couldn't make it even if using all her strength.

"I've known enough about you. " An idea popped into Rey's head. She flipped their joined hands to expose Kylo's bar code, printed on the inside of his wrist. "I've seen you murder your father who give a damn about you, Ben Solo. I saw you killing him with my own eyes. "

He released her in shock. His expression turned dark, the mask he tried so hard to maintain started to crack.

"Quit bringing up my personal issues unless you are expecting some broken bones." His voice returned to its usual coldness, but more intimidating than any other time Rey had heard him speak.

She finished running two kilometers within five minutes. Neither she or Kylo had spoken again in the process.

The only thing in the facility that Rey hated other than Kylo was the showers. They were not really used for taking showers, though-the more common use of them was sex. There was only a piece of curtain between the boys' and girls' shower areas, and the guards were tired of forcing these hormonally active teenagers back to where they should be.

Rey hated being exposed, and she could never understand why people would ever be willing to stay naked in others' presence. She was probably the only Reboot girl who came in and out of shower wearing all of her clothes.

Rose teased her about that. "Something shared between you and that Kylo guy. Already got influenced on the first day of training, haven't you? "

Rey shot her a disgusted look. "Damn, Rose, who told you that?I mean about Kylo?"

"Finn, of course!" Rose said excitedly, then blushed a deep red at Rey's suspicious look. "I didn't do that with him, by the way. We've only been here for one day! "

"They are like...animals."Rey murmured. She didn't know how to explain this feeling to Rose when she asked about it, so she remained silent.

"Do you have anything that you are exceptionally good at as a human?"Kylo asked her on their second day of training.

"I used a quarterstaff. "Rey replied. Most of their conversations were like this one, all about business.

Rey didn't know how to communicate with a nightmare for humans, a monster. It was not her fault.

"We don't have it here. You have to adapt to using smaller weapons, like knives and guns."He paused, as if thinking. "You needa teacher.I will teach you. "

"I can use a knife. "She argued. Surely Rey wouldn't want to be around Kylo when he was equipped with a knife.

"Show me, then."


	4. FOUR

Ben

She saw his worst nightmare.

Ben gasped, staring at the girl before him.

Rey saw him kill his father.

His blood ran cold. Her words was tearing open his never healed wound, bringing him back to that cursed night, when he let go of his past, ending Ben Solo's life in the meantime.

He felt as if underwater, trying to catch his breathe, lost his ability to move or speak.

The first emotion he had felt in a long time was, not unexpectedly, guilt.

That night, they were standing on the roof, waiting for the shuttle. The trainers would use the Newbies' first assignment to familiarize them with the whole procedure.

Unless they didn't survive this time, the practice would always benefit them in their next ones.

It wasn't uncommon for Reboots to die during their first assignment.

Ben hadn't been exchanging any word with Rey since the incident in the training room. The dark part of him thought briefly of destroying her for bringing up his past, but the idea was soon took over by even deeper guilt.

Ben didn't like her for triggering his emotions.

Rey ninety-seven was standing next to him, her hands nervously gripping the bottom of her black jacket. Her breath was uneven, and the serious look on her face was not doing so good at hiding her anxiety.

Certain he couldn't be feeling protective of Rey ninety-seven.

"Don't be afraid. I feel it too." Ben said without thinking twice, breaking the silence. Then, coming to realization of what he was saying, warmth creeped onto his face. Apparently Rey caught his moment of unease, because an emotion that could almost be described as understanding appeared in her beautiful hazel eyes.

He certainly didn't want to describe her eyes as beautiful. He must have been admiring the strength and determination, which brightened her eyes, making her seem like a spark in the dark.

"You are lying." She said, her attention fully occupied by the arriving shuttle. The air around them started moving as the vehicle approached. "You, Kylo one-eighty-three, doesn't feel. And I am not afraid."

He almost smirked, amused by her feigned bravery. "We all know who's a bigger liar, ninety-seven."

Rey pressed her lips into a thin line before she spoke again. "Well, at least one of my statements is true. "

She turned around to look at him. He felt bare before her, like she could see through his s-

No, Ben Solo no longer had a soul. He was hardly a vessel of inflicting memories and long buried terror.

Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment longer. "Can't you just call me Rey?"her tone was lighter than usual. Some hair were dancing beside her face in the airstream.

Ben couldn't help but lean towards her, reach out and tuck it behind her ear.

They both froze.

Ben was usually very good at concealing his feelings.

He almost lost control this time, though.

He was expecting a disgusted look from Rey. No one wanted to have skin-to-skin contact with one-eighty-three. Surely they wouldn't want to be touched by a walking corpse.

Rey's cheek slightly flushed, but she wasn't shown to be humiliated or disgusted. If she did feel so internally, she didn't let it show.

Ben's hand dropped to his sides.

"Alright, Rey. Let's aboard the shuttle. "

REY

Rey couldn't stop replaying the moment ih her head, and by that she was very irritated.

A simple action of caring.

She didn't know he could probably care about anyone other than herself.

Her mind wandered to his cold fingers brushing against her auricle, him being so close that she could feel his shallow breath. It was a thing much too human of Kylo one-eighty-three to do.

She tried to shift her attention to something more important. The first thing that came into her mind was the assignment.

Right. The assignment.

"Tell me about our assignment. "She said to Kylo, who was sitting beside her. Too close. Rey suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, so she moved in her seat, putting more distance between them.

Although a part of her, unreasonably, had wanted the opposite.

"Eric Smith. -five. Charged with murder. The victim is his own 7-year-old child, who rebooted one month prior. "

Rey sensed a hint of rage in his voice. The sudden burst of emotion brought some life onto his skin, that at that moment, Rey almost forgot who he was.

She almost .

She wasn't sure what had angered him until she thought about his past.

Someone stabbed him straight through the chest when he was fourteen.

That would do it.

"Who did it?"She spoke her thoughts, then immediately regretted it. She thought back to his threat before, all her conflicting feelings for the boy crumbled. Kylo Ren was a monster, a murderous snake, a creature in the mask, and his death wouldn't make his crimes against ethics forgivable.

"Who did what? "

"Never mind. "the shuttle slanted to the left, the whole vehicle shaked hard. The light above them flickered a few times before it went totally dark. HARC got their transport as part of the trophy from the battle against Reboots, therefore the shuttles were a bit aged and small problems like this sometimes occurred.

The hair on Rey's back stood as she thought about sitting next to Kylo one-eighty-twhen in the darkness. She laced her fingers together, hoping the lights to come back on soon.

The safety belt was too loose to keep Rey in her seat. Her position changed as the ship jolted again, this time her head bumped on something hard.

She reached out blindly to examine the thing she bumped onto, her hand landed on fabric. The texture was familiar, typical chemical fiber that all the Reboots wore. She adjusted her posture to let her fingers travel upwards…

Until she touched flesh. Cold as marble.

And she felt a heartbeat. Steady, slowly, like a distant thunder.

And a strand of smooth curly hair.

Rey retrieved her hand as if it would be set on fire within another skin contact. She gripped her safety belt and tried to sat upright.

"I'm not going to the showers with you, in case you're wondering. "His whisper exploded in her ear, his tone teasing and sarcastic.

"You are thinking so low of me for assuming that i would ever want to touch a murderer like you. "

BEN

Far too intimate.

He hated the ridiculous warm feeling swiveling in his stomach when she playfully-or maybe accidentally-touched his hair. He hated his wordlessness when he clearly had to say something to stop her from influencing him like that. He hated how attracted he felt towards her, like an animal instinct.

Her words, though, inflicted him more than everything.

He knew it was the truth. No one would want to touch Kylo one-eighty-three.

He was no better than a walking dead.

A pregnant, annoying silence filled the space between them once again as they exit the shuttle. The sounds of boots colliding with the solid pavement formed an ordered, pleasant rhythm made his mood a bit lighter.

He didn't have moods. He reminded himself. He needed to focus on the assignment.

He glanced at the other trainers and their newbies. Kaydel was lecturing Poe Dameron seventy-three on something, judging from her serious expression.

He remembered seventy-three's name only because his trainee seemed to be in a good relationship with that guy. He felt a bit envy of Rey for her ability making friends.

No one had wanted to befriend Kylo one-eighty-three.

REY

"Can you read the map?"Kylo took out a map of Austin from his pocket, then unfolded it in front of her. She struggled to make out the lines under the dim light of the street lamps. Reboots' eyes were more sensitive than the humans', but their pupils still spent a rather long time adjusting to the darkness.

"Yes. "It took her a few seconds to decide. When she was back in Rosa, maps were one of the necessities if you didn't want to lost your way among the destructed buildings. However, after she had memorized a map of her living area in her mind, the tool was used less often. She didn't forget all about it, though, just a bit out-of-practice.

"His house is here. Head north. "Kylo pointed to a red dot on that map and instructed her to head in another direction. Rey shot him a grateful glance, only to remember that he wasn't her friend. He was barely a mission partner. Mostly a trainer.

She shoved the jumbled thoughts aside, running forward. She amazed herself by the incredible speed, which she hoped she'd possessed as a human who had to run from danger more often.

"Don't waste too much of your energy. "Kylo warned her from behind, his voice muffled by the helmet. Rey took his advice and slowed down.

There were no games to play with your own life, after all. A useful suggestion ought to be taken, even the one who brought it up wasn't even worth of respect.

Suddenly he grabbed her hand, making hee come toa dead halt. "There it is. "

Eric Smith, their assignment, had a house of his own. It was one of the ugly bungalows lining the street. Judging from the outside, the wooden house was only next to falling apart.

Rey wrinkled her nose at the smell. It reminded her of the days in Rosa, her hometown. She lived in what was left of an old vehicle that could no longer be identified as anything other than garbage. The smell of sickness and death never stopped haunting her even if she had covered her head with the holed blanket.

She hated that life. Hated being wary throughout the night, hated worrying about her safety, hated having to work hard for barely subsisting.

And now when she finally earned herself a life more than survival, HARC was throwing her back onto the streets. Panic penetrated her bones, urging her to scream.

Focus.

She needed to focus on the assignment.

She tightened her grip on the gun, feeling the weight of it in her hand.

Kylo knocked on the door to Eric's house.

Nothing happened.

"An act of respecting human rights. "He explained. The claim was too absurd to be heard in Kylo's voice that Rey wanted to laugh.

"Very nice of HARC to have such regulations. "She commented. He turned to stare at her with a confusing look in his eyes before raising a hand and counted one to five.

He kicked the door open at "Five", revealing a few furnitures backed against the door. They were too weak a blockage for a Reboot, not to mention the strongest one.

Rey followed him in, heart pounding in her ears. She jumped at the slightest sounds as she paced on the cracked wooden floor, suppressing the desire to scream.

"Eric Smith, "Kylo shouted, startling Rey. "HARC knew what you had done. Maybe you'd prefer to-"

Gunshot.

Rey closed her eyes, expecting the pain that never came.

Another gunshot.


End file.
